1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of computer disk drive storage systems and in particular to devices for clamping a plurality of disks around a circular hub. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a device for providing an annular clamp having tabs to be received by a lip within the circumference of a circular hub in a disk drive storage system and providing a plurality of annular spacers for clamping a plurality of disks around the circular hub.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disk drive storage systems utilized in data processing systems often include multiple disks spaced in a parallel relationship clamped to a hub. It is well known in the art to shrink a ring around the hub holding the disks in place in a disk drive storage system utilizing friction forces. However, during assembly and disassembly, such shrink rings slide across the disk causing disk cupping. Shrink rings also apply radial forces to the hub as the rings contract, causing spindle bearing deformation. Other known assemblies for clamping disks to a hub without a disk drive storage system include screw on clamps which require more process time for assembly and give inconsistent clamp loads.
Disk distortion is also becoming a significant problem. Such distortion may be caused by bad disks, bad spacers placed between adjacent disks, or both. In the prior art, disk spacers have generally been a solid ring design which contacts the adjacent disks with the entire surface of the spacer. To reduce disk distortion caused by the spacers, an expensive solution has been to produce spacers with extremely small flatness tolerances.
Therefore, a need exists for a system for efficiently clamping a plurality of disks to a circular hub for applying axial clamping to adjacent disks while imparting small radial forces.